Luminous night clouds over Bremen: A breathtaking natural spectacle!

Luminous night clouds over Bremen: A breathtaking natural spectacle!

The Bremen experienced an impressive natural spectacle on Sunday night: shining clouds adorned the sky and attracted numerous spectators. Even if the sun had already lost, the physical phenomenon could be admired in its full splendor. According to the ARD weather expert Frederik Raff, this fascinating spectacle arises when clouds rise to higher orbits. Where normal clouds can usually be found at around 10 km, special ice crystals can even reach heights of up to 80 km through thunderstorms, which leads to the formation of these extraordinary clouds. These high clouds reflect on the sunlight that shines into space, back to earth, which creates the impressive glow. The German Weather Service (DWD) confirmed these observations and informed that the phenomenon is best visible, especially around midnight, when the sun and the clouds are in the optimal angle to effectively break the light.

What kind of clouds are these that allow us to be so amazed? These are the so -called polar stratosphere clouds, which are also known as pearl clouds. These typically appear in the cold winter months and surprise with gentle pastel colors that are reminiscent of shimmering mother -of -pearl design. However, the conditions for their creation are quite special: these clouds form in the stratosphere, at altitudes of 20 to 30 km, and only thrive below -78 degrees Celsius at extremely low temperatures. They are created from small drops of water that freeze conditions with these frigid conditions and combine into ice crystals. When sunlight hits this crystals, it is broken and creates the fascinating color spectrum.

The best chances of observing mother -of -pearl clouds, especially in cold regions such as Scandinavia, Scotland or Antarctic. Here they can be seen relatively frequently due to the stable polar vertebra and the extreme temperatures. However, they represent a rarity in the northern hemisphere. Theoretically, the conditions are also given in northern Germany, but only a few observations were recorded. For example, there was an observation of Nitric Acid Trihydrates (NAT) in 1999 in Helvesiek, which was bound to the cool stratosphere of that time.

Why are these clouds so important? They not only contribute to fantastic sky spectacles, but also have a deeper meaning for our climate. Polar stratosphere clouds play a role in ozone reduction because they release chlorine, which reacts in chemical reactions with ultraviolet light and contributes to the weakening of the ozone layer. This makes it clear that imagination and science go hand in hand. A romantic cloud play about Bremen can also be linked to serious environmental issues.

Summer not only offers sun, but also unexpected heavenly gifts. Anyone who has the opportunity to look at the sky at night should take the time - maybe there will soon be such a nature experience that is amazing. At night the sky over Bremen was a real work of art that brought us closer to the beauty and secrets of the atmosphere. Maybe the conditions will come together again soon to experience such an impressive spectacle. In the meantime, the memory remains alive in a day when the clouds were the main actors in the sky.